Sunday, February 15, 2015

Scavenger Hunt - February

I met a lot of people in Europe. I even encountered myself.

James Baldwin

One of the items on my Things to Do Each Day list is to read a short story or essay. On my To Be Read bookshelves and chair side tables I have way too many unread collections of short stories and essays - Best of series, food and travel essays, OHenry and Pushcart volumes. When attempting to read them in one setting as I do a novel or non-fiction book, they overwhelm me. They also never get my full attention when only picked up here and there. Nor can I remember which parts I've already read.

Focusing on one book at a time and one piece of writing from it each day has rendered a most satisfying experience. At present I'm reading the Best American Travel Writing 2014, edited by Paul Theroux. I've vicariously been held prisoner in Somalia, fly fished for dorado in Brazil, and ridden a Greyhound bus across the US. I've reread a lovely essay by David Sedaris about a family gathering on the North Carolina coast and hung out in New York City, Bombay, Paris, Sarajevo and a host of other locations.

Today I enjoyed a piece by Thomas Swick entitled A Moving Experience. It talks about his perspective as a travel writer. Much to ponder in this essay, but one observation he discusses is how lonely the travel writer can be. Yet in the solitude, he becomes more aware.

Apropos as my real-life travel today involves a solitary walk, a list in hand. A couple weeks back I ran across a blog entitled Made With Love. The Sydney based writer, Greenthumb, posts a monthly-themed Scavenger Hunt for photos. The hunt sounded like fun and today was my day to attempt it.

Having just read Swick's essay, certain lines remained in my mind. "... freedom from distraction; when you're by yourself, you're more attuned to your surroundings. Less discussed, but just as important, is the fact that, alone, you're also more sensitive. You not only notice your surroundings more clearly; you respond to them more deeply."

Perhaps that is why I often find perspective when I walk or go someplace alone. Or find myself in tears with my thoughts. Or discover marvels while sauntering that I never would have noticed if I only looked down the road and concentrated on sweat. (Could also be why my Active Minutes on my Fitbit rarely goes seven minutes before a stop.)

At the end of his essay, Swick stated "It was in Lisbon that I discovered the secret of travel writing, which is also the secret of memorable travel: you approximate, as best you can, in the short time allotted you, the life of a local."

Join me. Today, you get to be a local on Impala Isle. I hereby present my February Scavenger Hunt. Twelve photos: Flowers, Love, Number, Something Beautiful, Your Favorite Color, Bird, On the Road, Tap, Price, Heart, A Corner of Your Home, and Whatever You Want

Found while alone. Shared with sensitivity and deep joy.

Flowers

From my sweetie. (And not much other than store-bought available in terms of color in February.)

Love

Took three walk bys to get this photo of mama and baby. Baby kept sliding into the lake.

Number

Wanna play?

Something Beautiful

Indeed

My Favorite Color

Any shade of blue. Aqua, too.

Bird

Neighborhood Regular

On the Road

Fun find.

Tap

Gonna figure out something to do with these one of these days.

Price

Tree for sale

Heart

Nothing to say about that.

A Corner of Your House

Gotta spy on the world from somewhere.

Whatever You Want

Day's End.

Anyone else up for a Scavenger Hunt? Click on that Scavenger Hunt camera in the righthand column to find Made with Love. Most fun.

43 comments:

I enjoy travel books too and you've reminded me that I have one of Paul Theroux's waiting for me on my book shelf in Italy which I started on the flight out last September. He travelled around the Mediterranean coast which was quite an undertaking. I've enjoyed your Scavenger Hunt photos for February. I've done a second one for this month and it makes me even more aware of my surroundings!

There's a lot here, as there always seems to be with your writing. You've tapped into that elusive thing - the trying to be fully present in a life of comfort and ease that threatens to numb us - living in a travel mode without actually leaving home.

I like the idea of one small thing at a time, and not just in terms of reading. So often I end my days with little accomplished, because I didn't focus on just one thing, or because the big thing seemed like too much. Reading had fallen by the wayside for far too long, for the silliest of reasons, and although it's back now, I'm sometimes frustrated by the availability of so much good stuff to read, and the inability to choose. Not making a lot of sense, I'm afraid, but perhaps you get my drift. I enjoyed your pictures, share a love of blue with you, and like the shot of your two chairs a lot. What a beautiful place you live in! But I don't think I'll be doing the Scavenger Hunt - or maybe I will..? It might be good to make myself take note of what's there.

Nessie et al, just go Made for Love blog. On the left hand side she has the camera and code. HIghlight and copy the code, then go to your layout and click on Add a Gadget. Choose the third party gadget. Past that code in there and then you can position it where ever you want on your blog.

As regards reading short stories, at present I am reading GK Chesterton's Father Brown Stories. When you mentioned about travel stores, I have a book which I kept aside after reading a few stories. The name of the book is THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF WILD JOURNEYS. edited by Jon E. Lewis. I must now take this book and finish it. There is a definite advantage of reading a short story because we can fit it in our spare time each day and enjoy it. Beside, each short story gives us immense insight into the lives, customs, thinking and attitudes of people.

I'm no photographer, but I enjoyed this post so much. Especially since I've been teaching Walden and trying to get my students to appreciate his message of SOLITUDE SOMETIMES!Lovely post and gorgeous photos.

Love your photographs. I only found the scavenger hunt today, so routed through me recent pics to join in. Cannot wait to go out and about with my camera with more of a purpose now for the March list. Love your taps, what about hooks for towels in the bathroom?

Yes, I have considered the hooks for towels. And for keys. And a few other ideas. Sometimes when I put things somewhere with the intent to do something creative, they become invisible. That is what happened to these taps. I now see them again. Off to visit your selections. Thanks for commenting on mine.

A lovely selection of photos, Julie! I'm glad that you joined in. I think you get the prize for the prettiest taps! I enjoyed your post too, and I'm going to try that one essay, short story, etc. my self, once I get home from my trip to Hawaii! I'm looking forward to seeing your March photos!

I'm looking forward to yours as well. Yup, I always have to have a story when I post a blog. Otherwise, I'd just do photos and that would not be good. I suppose. Certainly enjoyed my visit to your collection.

Just got back onto my blog after over a year's absence and was reading through some past comments from visiting bloggers. I followed your mom's blog and she was generous enough to come visit mine and left a nice comment one time for me regarding one of my posts. I so enjoyed your mom's blog - sometimes she said things that reminded me so much of my own mom (whom I lost in 2001). She seemed pretty no-nonsense. I checked to see if I could still link to Bernie's blog and sure enough found the entry re: the first anniversary of her death. I just wanted to tell you that I enjoyed your mom's perspectives on things and missed her when she could no longer blog. Hope it's okay to use your most recent post to let you know that. I'll come back to see what's happening on your blog. Take care!

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Road Trip

The present -- Onward! The Midlife Roadtripper continues the journey of the Midlife Jobhunter. I'm not quite certain if I'm still midlife, but I don't care. That's my name.

The beginning -- Accompanied by a stale resume in an even staler economic era, Midlife Jobhunter is a road trip toward the rediscovery of my own talents, abilities, gathered knowledge. Oh, yes, and the search for gainful employment. As I dust off my filing cabinet in search of the secondary high school English teaching certificate that expired 24 years ago, I embark on an adventure. I can’t look at it any differently than that, or it will overwhelm me.

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About Me

Julie Sucha Anderson (Julianne Anderson) is a mid-life writer of personal essays, short stories, and a novel and three-quarters. She is an editor and contributor to many publications including Grrl Talk - Sass, Wit, and Wisdom from the Austin WriterGrrls.